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I chose this title not only because it invokes memories of a favorite 45 rpm
record I used to own, but also because it aptly describes my viewing habits for
this month. A few preemptions, a few power outages, and just plain forgetting
to set the timer on my VCR knocked some holes into my normal GH regimen,
but not to worry: it's pre-sweeps month. There was bound to be some repetition
as the writers set the stage for all the big stuff to come in May, and I never
felt as if I missed any major plot points if I skipped a day or two. Yet there
were some really nice moments that I'm glad I didn't miss, and considerably more
story than the mindless vamping of last year's pre-sweeps (which must've been
truly awful if I'm still complaining about it).
The biggest thing I've noticed is a renewed interconnectedness between the
characters, in which a single event in one story can impact any number of characters
outside of its immediate circle, blurring the lines of distinction between the
various groups on the show. The only drawback to this development is that it makes
it difficult to write a monthly review in a logical, sequential manner, the usual
modus operandi being to take each unit of players and cover the events
in their part of the world separately. True to this form, I'll be breaking my
review down into various groups, as Amy so expertly does in her reviews, with
some sections being considerably longer than others simply because they involve
more people.
1. The Quartermaines and the New, Improved, Proactive AJ
Although he's had no big front-burner story of his own this month, AJ's had
his hand in a number of pivotal events. He's been popping up in scene after scene,
first as an observer, and then, armed with his observations, as a catalyst. Nothing
seems to be getting by him these days. Furthermore, it seems as if he's finally
become proactive, a journey that began, ironically, when he actively chose to
drink many months ago. "I drink because I like it," he insisted, flaunting
his alcoholism in front of his family rather than hide it as he'd done in years
past. And whether or not his statement was true, it was an admission of his responsibility
for his own condition that would later carry over into his now-sober persona.
Early on in the month, I worried unnecessarily over yet another Michael-napping
caper, with AJ taking Michael away from Sonny (unobserved) in the park. Yet AJ
returned Michael to Sonny after establishing the painful fact that his son no
longer knows who he is (a conclusion I think he'd already reached prior). I thought
it was telling that AJ chose to face Sonny and his wrath, rather than just send
Michael back to "Uncle Sonny" on his own. And while I'm sure his effrontery
didn't score any points with some viewers, I couldn't help but think that this
new AJ would never resort to hiring an arsonist to get what he wants. Indeed,
he went on to enlist Scotty's legal help instead, a fine choice in light of Scotty's
deep-seated animosity towards Sonny.
After Sorel's trial, AJ was the first to notice the bruises on Zander's hand,
and the first to suggest that Zander was the one who attacked Edward. Of course,
the initial conclusion he drew from that observation was incorrect, but it didn't
take him long to realize that either. After questioning Melissa and taking note
of Edward's remarkable recovery, he went on to enlist Ned's and Alan's help in
establishing the final proof of Edward's deception.
That said, I'm wishing AJ would cross the fourth wall and have a chat with
the writers over some of the more glaring inconsistencies in this storyline, which,
with his newfound acumen, I'm sure he'd have noticed. For example, why would Edward's
wallet turn up in the junkie's pocket if Edward had set the thing up from the
beginning? It makes no sense that Edward, interested only in framing Zander and
blackmailing Emily, would bother with that odd complication. And why, if the physicians
at General Hospital are supposed to be so astute, did Edward stay so long in the
hospital when it was later revealed that he had sustained no injuries? Surely
someone would've noticed his bruises were applied with cosmetics rather than fists
and sent him on his way, perhaps with a stern lecture over his obvious abuse of
emergency facilities. At the very least, the attending physician would've assured
the Quartermaines that there was nothing wrong with Edward at the time of the
alleged mugging, saving Alan the trouble of having to look up that information
in his chart a few days later.
When this story began to unfold, I thought it would involve a more convoluted
(but more sensible) explanation, like Sorel arranging to have Edward mugged, hoping
to frame Zander and discredit him as a witness, with the junkie as the actual
mugger (and Edward as an actual mug-ee). Sorel then reneged on his agreement to
supply said junkie with drugs in return for the mugging, causing the junkie to
take matters into his own hands at the hospital with Melissa, Bobbie and Roy (thus
supplying a logical catalyst for both events). Meanwhile, Edward begins to see
this tragedy as a golden opportunity to break up Emily and Zander (even though
he clearly recalls that Zander wasn't his attacker) and plays along with the events
that Sorel's set in motion (which would include, at this point, the eye-witness
Sorel produced), and eventually blackmails Emily.
In this scenario, we're left at the same conclusion, but with a more cohesive
chain of events leading up to this point. There's still a considerable amount
of deception on Edward's part, but now, he comes off as a cagey opportunist, rather
than the silly old man who thinks he can pull off this ridiculous and rather transparent
ruse. And though Bob Guza is long gone as head-writer, the story as it stands
reminds me of one of his more irritating patterns: a good beginning followed by
a poorly thought out "middle."
That said, the story did at least accomplish a few key points, the more obvious
one being to establish some major internal conflict in Emily and Zander's relationship,
a couple who, up until this point, had only external pressures to deal with. The
other by-product of this story is the newly forged relationship between AJ and
Ned, as they worked together to uncover Edward's scheme. From their unique positions
as interloping outsiders, maintaining a discreet distance from the family while
remaining confidantes to everyone except Edward, they could make a formidable
team, provided they don't end up killing each other. When's the next ELQ board
meeting anyway? Better watch your back, Edward....
The other big story at the Quartermaine household this month was that of Monica's
cancer scare, and the overall wave of good feelings her negative biopsy results
produced. In a touching scene between Alan and AJ, AJ voices his regrets over
his past actions, claiming responsibility again for much of the turmoil in the
house, with Alan suggesting that AJ look toward the future: advice I believe AJ's
already taken, to some extent. As for me, it's such a treat whenever Damon and
Warlock share a scene together. Despite the obvious height difference, they do
share a certain physical resemblance that resonates nicely with their always-"on"
performances. They are two of the most consistent, believable actors on the show
and I'm happy that they're finally receiving their share of the spotlight again.
Of course, the other event Monica's cancer scare precipitated was she and Alan's
renewal of their wedding vows, an event marred by the intrusion of the soap-hopping
Rae Cummings and Skye Chandler. As one who has neither the time nor the inclination
to watch all of the ABC soaps, these crossover plots hold little interest for
me. When I saw them at the PC airport, I hoped they'd both bought non-refundable,
round-trip tickets.
2. The Cassadines and the Spencers
Luke's looking pretty perky these days, despite all of that nightmare-plagued
sleep. Perhaps it's due to Geary getting the go-ahead to essentially write his
own storyline, a perk most actors only dream about (which, in most cases, is a
relief for the viewers). But in Geary's case, he does have some writing experience,
and so far, his is the most intriguing plot on the show, despite the slow beginning
(which Amy discussed in her February review). It also has the potential to involve
the most characters, bringing even Tony Jones off the backburner bench for a while.
At the core of the story is Luke's bizarre dream, which began broadcasting
last month. Thankfully, it hasn't been re-shown too many times (like Stefan's
vision of shooting Katherine during the Richard Culliton days), and the dream
itself is enigmatic enough so as to bear repeating. (I have, however, figured
out that Luke's in the hold of some ship, and I half expect him to come across
Lulu and Lucky handcuffed to a pipe ala Leo DiCaprio in Titanic.) Toward
the middle of the month, we got a partial payoff, with Helena walking through
the same narrow corridors in Luke's dream (probably the hold of her yacht) and
telling a yet-unseen person that "soon, they would have everything they wanted."
I suspect a new name will be appearing in the credits soon.
The story's boundaries expanded this month to include Stefan, and I was happy
to see him spar with Luke again, however brief it was. I do hope he'll have more
of a role as the story progresses. It also looks as if Roy will be involved, which
will be a welcome relief from his current role as trophy cup in the now-very-tedious
Melissa and Bobbie wars. Might I hope that Roy's part in the Cassadine/Spencer
struggle will bring him in contact with Alexis again? They fight so beautifully,
I can't help but think that they'd perform equally well as lovers.
Despite her intentions, Laura's getting pulled into the story as well, which
is both fortunate and unfortunate, I think. Fortunate, in that it expands her
horizons beyond Deception, but unfortunate if it becomes an early death knell
for her and Scotty as a couple. It's not that I couldn't ever support a Luke and
Laura reconciliation (thought I'm not particularly interested in it, at this point),
it's just that I'm having such fun seeing her and Scotty reconnect after all these
years. With Felicia becoming more and more inconsequential, and Luke finally seeing
Laura as an independent adult (and liking what he sees) at the Deception party,
I hope I won't get short-changed with Scotty and Laura.
Meanwhile, I'm liking Lucky best as Helena's thrall. He's not nearly as irritating
when he's in a trance, and I might even be able to muster up a shred of sympathy
for him once he realizes what he's done while under Helena's influence.
Lucky's a character I've never really warmed to, having found Jonathan Jackson's
Lucky every bit as annoying as Jacob Young's has been lately. I know there are
those who think this "new Lucky" as performed by Young is too different
from the old, but I think his intolerance of Liz's friendly relationship with
Jason (when it was only "friendly") and his lack of regard for her feelings
during the whole Face of Deception mess is quite consistent with the "old
Lucky's" inability to see beyond his own preconceived notions of how the
world and its inhabitants should behave. It's more of the same behavior he exhibited
toward his parents during the whole "rape revisited" storyline, when
he retreated to his fantasy boxcar, painted with idealized images of what a home
should be like, when things weren't going his way. Liz has stepped outside of
the box now, and I'm not sure if the rift is repair-able, nor do I particularly
care. But it is a notable piece of irony that it's Lucky's own disposition and
prejudices that Helena's been using against him, creating another type of box
from which he'll have to be rescued.
In a complementary story, we have Lucky's brother, Nikolas, stepping outside
of the box that his family had prepared for him, and spending most of the month
loudly proclaiming his independence from Stefan and Helena.
Alexis, too, has had a pretty angry month, breaking ties with Sonny over his
"kidnapping" scheme with Zander and taking Roy to task for his part
in the deception. I love that she and Stefan are sharing scenes together again,
even though they are at odds over Nikolas, and I'm hoping for more to come.
Getting back to Alexis and Zander, I liked the scene in which she deduced what
had really happened when she saw Johnny give Zander back the watch that she had
given him. Because that was the second time in recent memory that a piece of jewelry,
given as a gift, served as a touchstone for its giver, just as Monica's pearl
necklace had revealed the truth of her cancer fears to Alan in March (in one of
the better scenes I've seen all year--but I'll have to leave that one for the
March reviewer). This month, Nikolas gave Gia a diamond bracelet. I imagine it'll
have quite a story to tell, if this pattern of events continues.
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